What do you think was the best Super Bowl ad? Was this batch of ads better or worse than previous years? Let us know what you think about the funny, interesting, risque and sometimes confusing commercials.

(Subtitle: Is Jerry-Springer-Tabloid-Style-TV The Future Of Mainstream Television News?)

Drew Peterson's new-now-ex-girlfriend/fiancee(?) now claims that they were never actually engaged! It was allegedly just a media stunt engineered by Peterson's attorney(?!!).

24 year old Christina Raines, who appeared on a national tv news morning show Monday, was also captured on national tv news video along with her father last week (the swearing bleeped out), as she moved out of Peterson's southwest suburban Bolingbrook home.

Just the latest (manufactured ?) drama in the case of the ex-cop suspected in his fourth wife's disappearance and possibly also his third wife's murder. While Peterson continues to deny any involvement in either case (and so far no charges have been filed), he and his ilk keep getting covered by us -- 'the media.'

So, is it 'our' fault? Or are we simply giving viewers what they want?
Be Honest! Would you be more inclined to check out/talk about the latest Drew story or, say, the intricacies of the 850 billion dollar economic bailout?

The latter might 'actually affect' our lives.

Here we go again. The extremes of being rich and famous. There's been more than enough written about Jessica Simpson and her "curvy" new figure. I'm not going there! Instead, I think people should be more concerned about "celebrities" who look like this.

CHICAGO, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribune Broadcasting today announced that it will integrate the operations of its 24-hour cable news station, CLTV, with Chicago's #1 source for news, information and entertainment, WGN-TV. The combination will create the area's largest and most powerful television newsroom. Bringing the operations together under one roof will provide viewers with enhanced local news coverage on both cable and over-the-air television -- the benefit of a deeper, stronger, more experienced local news team with more resources at its disposal.
"This is a golden opportunity to expand our position as the breaking news leader in Chicago, to broaden our reach and develop new programming and advertising opportunities," said Ed Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer and president of Tribune Broadcasting. "This also will strengthen our overall broadcasting business in Chicago -- the moment is now."
All of CLTV's business and television functions will move to WGN-TV's facilities on Chicago's northwest side this summer. The two entities will operate together in one newsroom, with reporters and photographers delivering content to both stations. CLTV will continue to be a stand-alone 24-hour cable news channel with extended coverage of live stories not available anywhere else and specialty programs such as "Garrard McClendon Live," "Metromix," Sports Page," "Homes Plus," and "Living Healthy Chicago."
Advertisers will benefit from the arrangement, too, with one-stop ability to buy time on both stations. Advertisers will get increased opportunities to share their message with loyal local audiences and broaden their market coverage.
"We're looking forward to collaborating with our sister station on all fronts," said Marty Wilke, WGN-TV vice president and general manager. "This gives us a competitive advantage over the other television news operations in town and benefits viewers and advertisers, as well. We can't wait to get started."
Steve Farber, CLTV's general manager, said, "This is great news all around -- our team is excited about our future and the many opportunities for growth."
TRIBUNE is America's largest employee-owned media company, operating businesses in publishing, interactive and broadcasting. In publishing, Tribune's leading daily newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Sun Sentinel (South Florida), Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, Morning Call and Daily Press. The company's broadcasting group operates 23 television stations, WGN America on national cable, Chicago's WGN-AM and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Popular news and information websites complement Tribune's print and broadcast properties and extend the company's nationwide audience. At Tribune we take what we do seriously and with a great deal of pride. We also value the creative spirit and nurture a corporate culture that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Check out this lovely shot of me and my recent report on Aurora at 47-below (my photographer actually suffered frost bitten fingers that day)!

Yes, I look like a Giant Squirrel -with Dog Ears??!! Yikes!!! But hey, I WAS WARM!

The Hat -- a fur-lined aviator cap -- actually belongs to CLTV engineer Ken Brown. He's a lovely man who INSISTED I take his hat after he heard the CLTV News Department was sending me -a total Winter Wimp- out into the extremely cold North Woods, otherwise known as Aurora, Illinois.

Needless to say, I've gotten a lot of comments ever since. But again, I WAS WARM!

The picture, by the way, is allowing my Winterized Self, to live on in infamy! It's been popping up everywhere: in the Chicago Tribune (along with other local TV reporters in fun head-gear), Online and On Our Air at CLTV.

So That 'You' Can Now Share My Pain (lol), I'm inviting you to send your GREAT WINTER HAT pictures to CLTVDESK@TRIBUNE.COMMy bosses have said we will air some of them. PLUS....

"I PLEDGE TO WEAR THE BEST HAT ON AIR ONE DAY!"
That is, provided the person who we deem has the best hat is willing to part with it for a day! So, please do include your contact information.

Thanks, and HATS AWAY!!
Monica :)

Viewer photos after the jump

Jonathan Turner is a 20-year old student diagnosed with autism. He's been attending Las Casas Occupational High School for seven years, and in another two, he was planning to graduate. He's taken A.P. Physics, is studying A.P. Biology, and one day hopes to work with computers. First, he has to figure out how to navigate the C.T.A.

First a DUI… now pot… Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps is he totally screwed…?
Unless you live under a rock you've heard about or seen the picture of Phelps smoking pot out of a bong pipe at college party (not one of his favorite photographs-I am sure). Well, now he's been suspended for three months by the USA swimming team, dropped from his sponsorship contract with cereal giant Kellogg, and could face possible criminal charges by law enforcement officials in the Richland County, South Carolina (where the pictures were taken and the pot smoking happened).
HMM, now correct me if I am wrong - but wasn't this party on a college campus? So does that mean the Richland County Sheriff Department will be pressing charges against some of the other students who were in attendance?

Today we learned from Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis that the 14-year old cop impersonator was able to walk right through an open door at the 3rd District police station and begin to "work."

In this instance, it was only a kid with dreams of law enforcement, but as plain-spoken 28th ward Ald. Ed Smith quipped, "what if this had been a terrorist?"

A new report from Sports Illustrated says baseball star, Alex Rodriguez, tested positive for two types of steroids in 2003.

What’s wrong with this picture?

The annual Chicago Auto Show rolls into town on Friday. Here's info to help plan your visit:
Date: February 13-21, 10:00AM-10:00PM & February 22, 10:00-8:00PM
Location: McCormick Place, 2301 South Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60616
Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors (62 and older) $5, Children (age 7-12) $5, Children (age 0-6) Free.
For more information, visit www.chicagoautoshow.com/

Just how bad is it?

According to the mayor, it's pretty bad.

The Windy City is the 'Third Most Miserable City in America' according to Forbes Magazine.
(That's out of their survey of the 150 biggest U.S. cities - those with populations of at least 378,000.)

Why?

"Lousy weather, long commutes, rising unemployment and the highest sales tax rate in the country are to blame," says Forbes.
And the magazine goes on to say, "High rates of corruption by public officials didn't help either."

Of course, some would argue that -the latter- actually adds to Chicago's quintessential charm. (lol)

But what about all the truly NON-miserable stuff?
I.E.
--Deep Dish Pizza
--Chicago Dogs (edible and also non-edible)
--the Cubs
--no, the Sox
--the Skyline
--the Restaurants
--the PEOPLE!

Okay, help us out! Add Your Chicago Highlights by clicking on the word 'comments' below.
Or, if you must, give us more low-lights! :(

******

FYI:
Most Miserable 'Top Ten'
____________________
Stockton, CA
Memphis, TN
Chicago, IL
Cleveland, OH
Modesto, CA
Flint, MI
Detroit, MI
Buffalo, NY
Miami, FL
St. Louis, MO

Sherri Taylor- Kennedy just got laid off.

It's a cold reality facing many lately, and it's a reality that in Sherri's case- came with no warning.

Okay, you claim you're broke. For whatever reason. So, to survive you now need to apply for some type of public aid (funded by taxpayer dollars). But despite your alleged dire straits, you suddenly drop $1200 bucks on a new Designer Handbag or Plasma TV?!

Is that too simplistic a correlation to what Cook County Government is up to?

A nearly 3 Billion Dollar Budget -- it can't yet pay for -- is on tap for Cook County.
So, the County Board is counting on taxpayer dollars (public aid) from the Federal Economic Stimulus Package to help cover the costs of keeping Government running in Cook.

Yet, the County has found $120,000 to spend on 13-hundred new County Road Signs. Signs that, by the way, critics say don't help anyone, as the numbers on them don't correspond to any State Routes or U.S. Highways.

One appalled County Board Commissioner figured some bureaucrat just slid it in somehow, as the matter allegedly never came up for debate before the Board.

Perhaps before the County now takes any federally-funded public aid (U.S. Tax Dollars from the Economic Stimulus), the County Board should first go through its Big-New-Nearly-Three-Billion-Dollar Spending Plan with a truly-fine-tooth-comb.

Gotta wonder how many items -sacrilegiously wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars- could be COMBED OUT!
(If they absolutely must, they can use a Designer Comb!)

The Olympics, they are great, everybody loves them, but do you love them in your city? Tomorrow we will see the details of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. With the Olympics comes massive construction which will make it harder to travel around the city not only in 2016, but in the years leading up. However, this time inconvenience can be offset by the sense of pride having the Olympics would bring. The real question is the question of the year, where is the money coming from?

In the proposal we may learn how the city is coming up with the $500 million in private guarantees as well as the $1.1 billion needed to build the Olympic village. Mayor Daley has said that city taxes will not pay for the games and most funding will come from the federal government, but last month Daley said the city was willling to pay for extra police used to patrol the games as well as paying for extra barriers and protection. So in this time of sacrifice how much are we willing to sacrifice for our city and national pride? Are you hoping for a good proposal and a big win for the City of Chicago or are you praying that Madrid is as good at hosting an Olympics as they are at soccer?
Please leave your comments.

It came to light this weekend that U.S. Senator Roland Burris had contact with SEVERAL associates of former Governor Rod Blagojevich BEFORE he was appointed to the seat by Blagojevich. The revelation has Illinois republicans calling for an investigation and for Burris to resign.

Burris' appointment to the senate has been the source of controversy since day one. Blagojevich, who has been arrested and charged with (among other things) trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder, made the appointment despite calls from political leaders not to.

It's a question more and more of us are having to face in these dire economic times.

Companies and government seats trying to stay afloat (short the finances to 'fully' do so) have already laid off thousands upon thousands of U.S. workers.
Yet, it's still not enough.

But since you can't lay off everyone and still be in business -- other options now being used:

--freezing employee pay (i.e. no raises)
--pay cuts (temporary or permanent)
--requiring unpaid time off (from a day to a week)

The State of Kansas has actually suspended this year's state income tax refunds to keep extra cash on hand! But even with that, may reportedly not be able to pay state employees on time.

What's your employer requiring of workers, in order to keep their jobs?

Where do you draw the line? Or do you?

Two U.I.C. studies released today have members of the Grassroots Education Movement hoping that the Board of Education listens up and reads the research in advance of its vote to close, consolidate, phase out, or turnaround 22 schools.

I have only a couple of minutes in my on-air report to share the highlights of the findings, but the following two lists provide you the whole scoop on the studies.....in their words, not mine.

From the Breaking News Center: "Evanston police said today they agree with a Cook County medical examiner's report that a 10-year-old boy took his own life when he hung himself in a bathroom at his elementary school."
CLTV covered the press conference in which authorities released more details about the death of 5th-grader Aquan Lewis.

Everybody, it seems, (even my personal doctor who brought it up during my Tuesday night appointment ) is now calling for his resignation. That would be his resignation from the U.S. Senate seat he so seemingly deftly navigated his way into -despite much controversy.
(Won't bore you by yet again dredging up the old history on his nomination process involving our Ex-Gov.)

But Controversy Appears To Beget Controversy (especially in politics!)

What's become clear is that Mr. Burris, in testifying before the Illinois House Impeachment Panel last month, didn't fully explain the contacts he had with the Blagojevich camp prior to his nomination.
I.E. contacts that some might have deemed inappropriate and therefore would've stood in the way of his getting the much-desired U.S. Senate seat.

But, was there truly a crime in his not blabbing on during the already tedious hearing process? Is there a true 'perjury' problem between what he said then and has since tried to add (via affidavit and in media statements)? Bottom line: Burris apparently never actually raised any money for the Blago Camp while he was in contention for the Senate seat. So, no quid pro quo.

Maybe somebody oughta just let the guy talk - in public - uninterrupted - so we can all now hear the full story.

Guess what?
Ain't gonna happen, now that it's in the hands of a U.S. Senate Ethics Panel and also investigators here in Illinois. It's all behind closed doors now.

Of course, that could make it easier for all the politicians (in both parties) to continue to spin it all as they like.

When Chaz Ebert attended Crane Tech, she commuted back and forth from the Jane Addams Homes, the country was in the midst of the Vietnam war, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

Kids still commute back and forth to the West Side school from those same projects- now know as ABLA, the country is in the midst of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we're facing economic turmoil.

The trial lawyer and wife of film critic Roger Ebert says times aren't that different for the class of 2009 than they were for the class of 1969. She's hoping students won't use the violence that's plagued the school as an excuse from achieving great success- especially in college.

If you didn't get tickets the first time for the Billy Joel and Elton John concert at Wrigley Field this summer don't worry you are getting a second chance. A second show has been scheduled for July 16th. The original show, scheduled for July 21st, is still on and if ticket holders for that show would like to attend the concert on the 16th they can swap those tickets for "comparable" ones no later than 5 P.M. this Saturday February 21st. Just go to this website. Tickets for the second show will go on sale on Monday February 23rd at noon on tickets.com. The decision to schedule a second show came at the request of the Cubs and elected officials after the first show sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale.

Let's give Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) the benefit of the doubt, and proceed under the assumption that each red light countdown signal would cost $4,000.

I came to work this morning to find out TMZ had posted the heartbreaking picture of pop-star Rihanna battered and brusied from the alleged altercation with her boyfriend singer Chris Brown on their website. I wasted no time logging on to TMZ to see the image and what I saw weighed heavy on my heart. Such a beautiful person marked with the tell-tale signs of her lover's rage. Deep bruises on both sideds of her face and forehead. Blackened eyes and blood drying on a busted lip. Tears resting in the corners of her eyes. It was a photo of undeniable pain and heartbreak.

Six schools were spared, yet 16 remain on the list.

The Board of Education will likely vote Wednesday to either close, consolidate, reorganize or turn them around. Why? New C.P.S. C.E.O. Ron Huberman had some criteria to meet in order to get off the chopping block.

The Big Hair and Make-up may be gone (I.E. one-time Cicero Town President Betty Loren Maltese is still in a federal slammer), but the crazy political ways of the town infamous gangster Al Capone helped infamously put on the map are.. well... still crazy?!

Sometimes you have to wonder why Illinois politics, specifically Chicago politics, has a bad reputation.

Oh wait, I know. It's because we prove the saying a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

Tuesday, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said for the first time in public that if he were Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) he would step down.

Our school is more than a learning institution, it is the fabric of our community.
That's what parent Willie J. R. Fleming said Schiller Elementary School means to his family.

Willie's comment touched me and made me think about my own elementary school.

Tune in to CLTV this afternoon as we plan to carry live coverage of Mayor Daley's announcement of the new CTA president. If you're away from your TV, log on to The Breaking News Center for updates.

Former Bulls player and broadcaster Norm Van Lier died Thursday afternoon at the age of 61. Van Lier was a three time NBA all-star and a frequent guest on CLTV's Sports Page. Below is a clip of his appearance on the show in January. Feel free to leave you memories and comments about Norm below.

You may remember a blog post last summer in which I recounted the struggles of attorney Mike Roman, who was banned from Judge Vincent Gaughan's criminal courtroom during R. Kelly's child porn trial for trying to hand off a C.D. from his "Carlos Santana Band" to the R and B superstar himself.

Well, the Cha Cha king of the 10th ward and I ran into each other in a courtroom again today, this time a federal one.

Legendary radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey, has died at the age of 90.